Policies and Procedures
Academic Policies

• Students must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 to participate in off-campus study opportunities administered through OCSE. Students should check with their program of choice regarding the program’s GPA requirements as some programs will require a GPA higher than 2.75.
  
  
• Students may participate on Skidmore Programs and Approved Programs, both international and domestic.
  
  
• Students may NOT apply to more than one program at a time, except in cases where OCSE determines that a program is highly competitive.
  
  
• Students wanting off-campus program credit to count toward their majors and minors should choose study abroad programs from the Approved Programs list for their major/minor department. The Approved Programs list is available in the OCSE office and on the OCSE Web site.
  
  
• Students wishing to participate in the Skidmore/Spelman College Exchange program will work closely with the OCSE Program Manager, academic advisor, and chair of their major/minor department to determine major/minor credit.
  
  
• Students who do not need credit toward their major or minor are able to participate on any of our Approved programs. The Approved Program Master List is available in the OCSE office and on the OCSE Web site.
  
  
• The number of credits in which students enroll in while off campus depends on their program choice. Students must maintain a full course load while studying off campus (usually the equivalent of 15 semester credits) but no more than 18 semester credits. The number of credits for each course is determined by the host institution. Skidmore College will transfer course credit as reported by the host institution. Some programs will require students to take more than 18 semester credits.  Please check with an OCSE Program Manager if you have a question regarding your specific program choice.
  
  
• Students who cannot find an appropriate academic program on the Master Approved Program List, may petition the Advisory Committee on Off-Campus Programs to participate on a program that is not on the Master List. The petition must have an academic focus and have support of the students’ major/minor department. Students wanting to petition must meet with an OCSE Program Manager for details.  All petition decisions are made by the Advisory Committee on Off-Campus Programs.
  
  
• Credits will count as Skidmore credits for Skidmore programs, except Skidmore in France, which provides transfer credit. Credits will count as transfer credits for International and Domestic Approved Programs. Students must earn a “C” or above to have transfer credit accepted by Skidmore.
  
  
• Grades for Skidmore programs will count toward the Skidmore GPA. Grades for International and Domestic Approved Programs will not count toward the Skidmore GPA. 

• Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grades will not be accepted for transfer credit except where the hosting institution transcript states that a satisfactory grade is a "C" or above.
  
  
• All courses at the 300 level will be applicable to the all-college requirement for maturity-level credits. Each department determines how many maturity-level credits may be brought in from off-campus for the major or minor. Therefore, students on ALL programs must work with their advisors before departure to determine which of the 300-level courses taken while off campus will fulfill departmental or other requirements.
  
  
• Sophomores, juniors and seniors may all study off-campus. Sophomores and seniors should check with an OCSE advisor regarding the need for additional application materials.
  
  
• All students applying to study off-campus must declare their major before submitting an application to OCSE. 
  
  
• Off-campus study is a privilege extended to students who have the established academic, social and financial standing.  However, a student’s approval for off-campus study can be rescinded by OCSE should a student fail to maintain these requirements.  In addition, neglecting to complete the mandatory OCSE documentation and submitting the requisite non-refundable deposit required to study off campus will jeopardize students’ ability to study off campus.
  
  
• Students may not participate in programs offered by the same non-Skidmore program provider for more than two semesters.  For example, a student is not allowed to participate in three semester-long IFSA-Butler programs during her time at Skidmore.  Students who participate in Skidmore programs are not limited to the number of semesters they may participate in any Skidmore program.  Note, Skidmore's First-Year Experience in London is a Skidmore program and does not count toward the number of IES programs a student may pursue.